Rodallega admits team morale is low

Fulham striker Hugo Rodallega admitted his team-mates were "very down" after losing to Reading at home on Saturday.

Despite being relegated from the Premier League last week, Reading were still up for the fight as they claimed a terrific 4-2 win at Craven Cottage.

Rodallega - who came off the bench after just 27 minutes to replace Greek midfielder Giorgos Karagounis - said conceding the lead was a 'surprise' and that the mood in the camp was poor after the defeat.

"The game was a little complicated as we were 1-0 down early, which was a bit of a surprise for us," Rodallega told the club's official website.

"He (Fulham manager Martin Jol) wanted me to play in attack with Berba (Dimitar Berbatov) and to try and give the Reading defenders more problems.

"I was happy with the way I played when I came on. I feel bad that we lost the game and the boys are very down, but we must keep our heads up for the next match against Liverpool as they are a big team and we need the three points."

Rodallega has made 28 Premier League appearances for Fulham, but has only started on 14 occasions this season.

His tally of goals has not been great - he has scored just three, although he was denied a fourth by the woodwork on Saturday - but hopes to win a regular spot in the team going forward, starting with the club's last two matches of the season against Liverpool and Swansea City.

"I want to play in this team always," he said.

"I haven't played a lot this season, which is the gaffer's decision, but I respect his decision and am ready to give my all. The second half I was unlucky as I hit the crossbar - I felt so bad when it hit the bar, as we were at 3-2 and could have equalised, but these things happen.

"I couldn't quite score a goal, but I was happy with my overall performance and hopefully I'll get another chance next week."